S

THREATS TO THE CORAL OF THE MESOAMERICAN REEF

NICOLE GRAINGER

The Mesoamerican Reef• 225 million years

• 1 000 kilometers

• 65 species of stony coral

• 500 species of fish

Coral Threats

Global Warming

Severe storms

High temperatures

Coral bleaching

Fishing

Overfishing

Cyanide Fishing

Global Warming

Global Warming: Storms

Increased intensity

Run-off

Global Warming: Coral Bleaching

Sudden drops or elevations in temperature

Stress-induced

Fishing

Over Fishing Caused by industry

expansions

Biodiversity support

Domino effect

Cyanide-Fishing

Spraying sodium cyanide

75% mortality of organisms in 48 hours

Slows photosynthesis in zooxanthellae

Solutions

Protected areas management

Addressing climate change

Safeguarding watersheds

Bibliography

Hurricanes and global warming devastate Caribbean coral reefs. (n.d.). the Guardian. Retrieved June 28, 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/24/climatechange

Is Global Warming Making Hurricanes Worse?. (n.d.). Daily Nature and Science News. Retrieved June 28, 2011, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0804_050804_hurricanewarming.html

Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. (n.d.). Playa del Carmen Travel Guide. Retrieved June 28, 2011, from http://www.aboutplayadelcarmen.com/playadelcarmen/mesoamerican-barrier-reef.asp

Overfishing. (n.d.). See The Sea. Retrieved June 28, 2011, from http://see-the-sea.org/topics/commerce/overfishing.htm

WWF - Mesoamerican Reef. (n.d.). World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. Retrieved June 28, 2011, from http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/mesoamericanreef/index.html